Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Road Tripping to England with Jez

Last month something very special happened, something I've dreamt off for the last 3 years, Jez came with me to England.

7 days out of surgery and with a thumbs up from his surgeon we jumped aboard a plane and set off on our way home.

Leeds : 2 days before we flew home

We landed in Manchester to find snow on the Pennines and not a glimpse of sun in sight. Landing in my home airport and seeing all the sites had an even more special feel as I got to share it with Jez for the first time. Our tour started in Yorkshire back home in Leeds with my mum, sister, her partner and our gorgeous little nephew. This was the first time Jez had meet most of my family including our 1 year old nephew, 13 year old niece and my 88 year old Grandad. So it was a super special trip.

Jez and Grandad

Hanging out with Grandad

Batkid

Over the course of the two weeks we didn't stop. We visited Durham, Leeds, Bradford, Ikley, Otley, Nottingham,Harlow, London, Hurley, Exeter, Topsham and Cardiff before returning to Nottingham and Yorkshire again. It truly was an epic family visit road trip.

Jez and Claire in London

London Bridge

Jez getting all artsy

Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guards

Jez at Scotland Yard

Some of the stand out moments had to be seeing Jez playing with our nephew, chatting with my Grandad in his favorite pub, eating Yorkshire Ice cream with my
dad, Yorkshire puddings with my mum, sat round the table sharing stories and then playing football and cricket with all my cousins in London, going through our wedding photos time after time with all my family and friends, walking through my local park past my primary school and looking up whilst surfing the inlet gate to see him stood with Den and Islay watching from the bridge.

Jez and mum in Meanwood Park

Leeds City Centre with mum

Celebrating our wedding with family and friends

Great evening at Mums

Great day out with Dad, Sarah and Olivia

Off course they weren't the only memorable moments, watching Jez riding a Boris bike through London one handed wearing a British flag woolly bobble hat, shivering non stop every time he stepped out side even whilst wearing two hoodies and a massive down jacket and hitting the floor time after time after banging his head on the door frames in every typically small British house we went into were also pretty hilarious memorable moments from the trip.

Some good old Yorkshire Ice Cream with Dad

Onesie show with our cousins

Hanging out at the marble museum

Training in Nottingham with Jez and Den

To say it was a dream trip was an understatement. Although I only paddled 3 times and Jez didn't paddle at all it was by far one of the most enjoyable and important trips we've been on. An important and memorable moment in our lives together. The time that I got to show off my home to Jez and my Jez to everyone at home. The time Jez made the long journey to England with me to met all my family and friends and got a glimpse into my home, my history, my life in the UK.